How to Cook Rice
Cook fluffy white rice on the stove with a 1 to 1.5 water ratio, a 15-minute simmer, and a rest, then store and reheat the leftovers safely.
We ruined a lot of rice before figuring this out. Too much water produced mush. Not enough produced crunchy bits at the bottom. Lifting the lid too early released the steam. Every batch felt like guesswork.
You will end up with tender, separate grains of white rice from a pot with a lid, the right ratio, and a timer, with no rice cooker and no hovering over the stove.
Our method uses less water than the 2 to 1 ratio the USA Rice Federation gives for long-grain white rice, and step 2 explains why that works. Once you know the ratio and commit to not lifting the lid, rice becomes one of the easiest things you can cook.
A pot with a tight-fitting lid. The lid needs to trap steam, so it should sit flush without gaps. If your lid does not fit well, you can cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and press the lid on top. You will also need a fine mesh strainer for rinsing (or you can rinse in the pot and drain carefully).
Measure and rinse the rice
Measure the amount of dry rice you want. The USA Rice Federation says 1 cup of dry rice makes about 3 cups cooked at its 2 to 1 ratio. This method uses less water, so expect a little less, which still serves 2 to 3 people. Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it while stirring gently with your hand. The water will start cloudy white and gradually become clearer. Rinse for about 30 to 45 seconds, until the water runs mostly clear. This removes surface starch, which is what glues the grains together and makes rice gummy. Rinsing is a trade-off, though. The USA Rice Federation says American-grown rice does not need rinsing, and the FDA says rinsing has minimal effect on arsenic and washes iron, folate, thiamine, and niacin off enriched white and parboiled rice. If your bag says enriched and you want to keep those nutrients, skip the rinse and use the water ratio on the package, because the ratio in step 2 assumes rinsed rice.
Use a 1 to 1.5 water ratio
For every 1 cup of rinsed white rice, use 1.5 cups of water. That is less than the USA Rice Federation's guide, which gives 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice for long-grain, jasmine, and basmati white rice and tells you to follow the package. The difference comes from this method. The rinse leaves the grains wet, and a tight lid on the lowest heat holds in steam that a looser pot would lose. We use 1 to 1.5 for jasmine, basmati, and standard long-grain white rice. If yours comes out firm in the center, add a little more water next time. Put both the rice and water into your pot. Add a pinch of salt at this stage. You can also add a teaspoon of butter or oil, which adds flavor and helps keep the foam down.
Good to know: If you are cooking more than 2 cups of rice at once, reduce the water ratio slightly to about 1 to 1.4. The water lost to evaporation stays about the same as the batch grows, so a bigger batch needs proportionally less. For 3 cups of rice, use about 4.25 cups of water.
Bring to a boil then reduce to lowest heat
Place the pot on the stove over high heat with the lid off. Let it come to a full, rolling boil. You want big bubbles, not just a simmer. As soon as you see a full boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting your stove offers. Put the lid on. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Do not touch the lid. Do not peek. Do not stir. Walk away. Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes and you lose the moisture the rice needs to finish cooking properly.
Rest off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes
When the timer goes off, turn off the burner completely but leave the lid on. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes. This resting period is not optional. During this time, the residual steam finishes cooking the top layer of rice and the moisture redistributes evenly throughout the pot. Skip it and the top layer can stay wet while the bottom dries out.
Fluff with a fork and serve
Remove the lid and use a fork (not a spoon) to gently fluff the rice. Insert the fork and lift, separating the grains. A spoon compresses and smashes the grains together. Fluffing with a fork separates them into individual, distinct grains. The rice should be tender, separate, and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. If there is a slight crust on the bottom, your heat was a touch too high during the simmer phase. Adjust next time.
For short-grain rice like sushi rice, use less water. The USA Rice Federation's ratio for it is 1.25 cups of water per cup of rice. For brown rice, switch to the ratio and cooking time in the FAQs below. If the rice comes out firm in the center, add a little more water next time. If it sticks or leaves a crust, turn the heat lower during the simmer. For leftovers, get the rice into the fridge within 2 hours, or within 1 hour under the stricter UK advice, and follow the make-ahead answer below for storing and reheating.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Brown rice needs a different ratio and much longer cooking time because the bran layer is intact. The USA Rice Federation uses 2.25 cups of water per cup of brown rice and cooks it for 40 to 45 minutes. Keep it at the lowest simmer, then rest for 10 minutes. The basic method (boil, reduce, cover, do not peek) is the same, but the increased water and time account for the tougher outer layer.
Two likely causes. First, your simmer heat is too high. The lowest setting means the lowest your stove goes. On some stoves, even the "low" setting is too hot. Use a heat diffuser (a metal plate that goes between the burner and pot). Second, add a teaspoon of oil or butter to the water before cooking. This creates a thin barrier between the rice and the pot surface.
Yes, as long as you cool it fast. Rice can carry spores of Bacillus cereus that survive cooking, and if cooked rice sits warm, the bacteria multiply and can make toxins. In a 2014 study of cooked rice, the toxin that causes vomiting survived 2 hours at 212°F (100°C), so reheating does not make rice that sat out safe again. The USDA's leftovers guidance is to refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour above 90°F, and to split large amounts into shallow containers so they cool quickly. Cooked rice then keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. The UK's Food Standards Agency is stricter about rice in particular. It says to chill leftover rice ideally within 1 hour, keep it no more than 1 day, and never reheat it more than once. Reheat it in the microwave with a tablespoon of water sprinkled over the top and a plate or lid covering the bowl. The added moisture turns to steam and rehydrates the rice. Heat it until it reaches 165°F, and because microwaves heat unevenly, stir it and check more than one spot. You can also freeze cooked rice. USDA gives 3 to 4 months for frozen leftovers, after which they stay safe but lose moisture and flavor. Portion it into freezer bags, press flat, and freeze. Reheat directly from frozen in the microwave.
We cannot tell you what any particular restaurant does. The two things you can change at home are fat and salt, since a little butter or oil and a pinch of salt in the cooking water both change the flavor.
Buy one if you cook rice several times a week, because it handles the timing for you and frees up a burner. If you cook rice less often, skip it. The stovetop method above makes good rice with the pot you already own.
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How to Cook Rice
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